Don’t vote based on tribe or religion – Archbishop Duncan-Williams

The Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of Action Chapel International, Nicholas Duncan-Williams, has expressed worry over political leaders engaging in tribal and ethnocentric comments ahead of the 7 December polls.

His comments come after President John Dramani Mahama’s pronouncements that the vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, will be dumped by the NPP should it come to power.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Class News’ Kwesi Parker-Wilson at the sidelines of the launch of the 2nd High Level Meeting of National Leaders Aimed at Strengthening Ghana’s Democratic Stability, Peace and Unity in Accra on Monday 21 November, Archbishop Duncan-Williams advised voters to choose leaders based on their competence, and not tribe or religion.

“We shouldn’t vote for people because of their tribe or their religion. You should vote for people because they are Ghanaians and they have what it takes to govern and to manage this country and to help move this nation forward and make it what we all want it to be. It shouldn’t be on the grounds of tribe or religion, but it should be on the grounds of what the individual is capable of doing,” he stated.

The renowned man of God added that although it was a worrying trend for politicians to indulge in tribal politics, some religious leaders were engaging them behind the scenes to ensure there is peace before, during, and after the 7 December polls.

“It is worrying that some presidential candidates are engaging in tribal politics, but, again, if you look at the American election, in politics a lot of things happen, and again we are engaging them behind the scenes. I’m one who doesn’t like confronting people publicly, especially when tensions are high. I think these people are very wise, intelligent and brilliant people. In the midst of the tension, if you engage them behind the scenes they come around, and I think that we are doing that in our own ways and we are also encouraging them to engage their people because sometimes you can’t blame the leaders only. Sometimes it’s the people around us, they have a way of fuelling the fire. They see it as ways of empowering their leaders,” he said.